


Help from the Queen

by inkwells_writing



Series: The Mark of Spades [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Cardverse, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-27 16:27:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13252098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkwells_writing/pseuds/inkwells_writing
Summary: Alfred was stuck in a meeting with men who want to send him, a former farmer and newly discovered King, into battle. Let’s hope his queen is there to get him out of this.(This is a prequel to Winter Thoughts, but you don't need to read that one to get this one)





	Help from the Queen

“Your majesty, I would hate to seem rude, but it is only proper to send a monarch out to fight the kingdom’s battles. It’s what we have always done.” 

Alfred had been dealing with this man for at least half an hour now. As much as he tried to tell the man “No, I keep telling you, I have no experience, all I know is farming, I can’t fight in a war,” he didn’t seem to listen. 

No one in the meeting was speaking up for him either. 

So he just sat and tried to picture him, who turned twenty barely a month ago, leading a war. He couldn’t fathom it, and yet it seemed to be the case. 

And just as he opened his mouth once more to try and plead his case, the door opened and a very piss-off Arthur Kirkland appeared. 

Alfred looked up at him, pleaded a quiet _help_ with his eyes, and at the burning anger that blazed openly across the man’s face, Alfred knew the message was received. 

Arthur, or, his Queen, had been ruling the land for so long and everyone listened to him. The man, luckily, seemed to feel some nice emotion towards Alfred (he assumed it was a form of pity) and quickly helped him adjust to life as the King, both within the world of politics and the world of knowledge.

And right now, the fearless Queen would hopefully help him _not_ get sent off to his death.

“What the bloody Sorts have you all been talking about? I was working on trade routes to get interrupted by someone who told me you had plans to send our untrained King into battle.”

Arthur was glaring at an older man, one who apparently had fought in the army when he was younger. The man was also, Alfred had quickly learned through the few meetings he had sat in on, a greedy pig. Lord Nergui was his title, and he seemed to despise Alfred, considering he had spent the entire meeting convincing everyone that Alfred should lead the armies.

“My Queen,” Nergui stood and bowed quickly, before sitting again, “It’s only, it would be smart to have our king lead our army, to show that he is strong-”

“King Alfred has not unlocked the magic of Spades yet. Nor has he received any real training for battles.”

Nergui chuckled, as if this was an easy debate, “Our King receives training every morning from the castle’s best knight-”

Arthur cut the man off again, and Alfred had to stop a smile from forming again. Arthur was getting really mad.

“Gilbert has been giving him one-on-one training, and while Gilbert is very good at it, the training he has received in the past month is not enough to place him at the head of the army. To do so could most certainly lead to his death.”

Nergui opened his mouth to speak, but Arthur quickly continued with a glare, “If you place our King on the front lines he will die. It will, inadvertently, be by your hands. It will be your wishes, for what, might I ask. Pride?” Arthur’s eyes narrowed even more as his voice dripped with disgust, “You would send our King into battle for a twisted sense of pride for our kingdom, getting him killed and leaving the Kingdom of Spades royalless again. It will leave us open and defenseless. You action would, truly, be an act of treason. So I ask you, Lord Nergui, do you wish to send King Alfred into battle?”

The look on Nergui’s face after Arthur had spoken was priceless. No one spoke until Arthur sat down in a chair and changed the subject about battle plans. Alfred continued the meeting in very good spirits, as the question of him going into battle was not brought up again. 

Someone quietly mentioned they should send Arthur out with the navy, as he was captain of a ship for a short time, but that was quickly shot down. 

As the meeting ended and the officials began to leave, Arthur called after Nergui to stay a minute.

The man, obviously, looked nervous, being left in a room alone with the two royals, one of which almost accused him of treason, but he stayed quiet nonetheless.

“Lord Nergui,” Arthur began, his arms at his side as he stood up straight with all the command a queen should have, “Your home resides in the Southern parts of Spades, right?”

“Yes, My Queen,” The man spoke formally, and Alfred really struggled to hold in a grin at the meekness of the man.

“I hear it’s quiet nice this time of year down there. I think it would be wise of you to go visit for a while, take your family down there and relax.”

The pathetic man squinted, “My Queen, what about the war meetings-”

Arthur cut him off once again, and Alfred had to wonder if that was a hobby of Arthur’s. 

“The war meetings will continue without your input. After today, it is obvious you don’t have much to say that will help end this war. Besides, I was reading the transcripts from earlier meetings, ones where you helped the previous King, and it seems to me that your business benefits from a continued war. So, really, I think it would be wise for you to even move down to your summer home. Possibly, never return to the capitol, less the common people hear about your thinly veiled greed.”

The man stood there speechless, and Arthur made a shooing motion with his hand, and the man scrambled out of the room.

As soon as the door was closed and the two were alone, Alfred combed his hand through his hair and laughed, “Sorts, that was awesome.”

Arthur let a half smile grace his features as he turned towards Alfred, “I’ve been meaning to speak with him about that, and today was truly the final straw.”

Alfred smiled at Arthur, “Thank you, for that, by the way. I don’t know what I would have done if they had sent me out there.”

Arthur’s smile dropped and he nodded, “I wouldn’t have allowed that. I don’t know what they were thinking, your word is the most powerful in the kingdom.” He sighed, “But really, I feel as though this war will come to a close soon.”

Alfred shrugged and Arthur stepped towards him, letting his posture drop for a second, “Really, you and your brother have very great ideas, especially considering you grew up on a farm with no formal education. Spades will thrive soon under the rule of our current monarchs.”

Alfred laughed and spoke, “Let’s hope.” 

He turned to leave but was stopped by Arthur speaking up, “Wait, ah, King Alfred?”

Alfred turned, suddenly a little nervous. “We agreed on no titles,” he said.

“Yes, I suppose we did,” Arthur said. He wasn’t looking at Alfred, but we was staring intently at the wall. A nervous twist curled the edge of his mouth as he spoke, “There is something I’ve been meaning to tell you-”

“Alfred!” 

They both jumped at Matthew’s voice.

“Oh, I’m sorry, was I interrupting? I heard that the meeting was over…” Alfred’s brother, and the Ace of Spades, spoke sheepishly.

Arthur’s posture returned to normal and he smiled his normal, polite smile, “No, you’re fine Matthew. I have other work I should be attending to.” And with that, he swept out of the room.

Alfred’s eyes followed him, and if he had time to think about it he would have noticed the red blush that had erupted across Arthur’s neck.

Instead, Matthew bustled forward, effectively cutting Alfred’s thoughts short when he held up a letter, “It’s from our old town.”

Alfred smiled, his thoughts on Arthur slipping away, “Didja’ read it yet?”

Matthew beamed as he slid the paper out, “I’m not rude, Alfred, I waited for you.”

The two brothers leaned together and read the letter, one that sent well-wishes from the village that raised the two orphaned boys into the leaders they became.

Alfred smiled and brushed his thumb over the signatures, “I wish they could have came to our coronation.”

A snort, “Yeah, you tell them all to leave their shops for some silly ceremony.”

Alfred nudged his brother as the turned to leave the room, his voice slipping deeper into his accent they spoke, “Still woulda’ been nice to see some familiar faces.”

Matthew sighed, “We’ve got each other.”

“Yeah.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!!! please leave kudos and comments i live for those!!! follow me on tumblr @inkwells-writing to request stuff and talk to me!!


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